Function: One of the Five Building Blocks of Kitchen Design
An excerpt from Joan Kohn's It's Your Kitchen
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Once you have decided on the general functional requirements of your new kitchen, you can focus on more specific issues:- Precisely how do you cook? Do you favor high-tech gear or conventional appliances? These days, we are no longer restricted to the simple choice of gas versus electric cooking. Modern ranges have evolved to include both in one, as well as other new technologies. Are you interested in some of the modern, health-conscious, water-based cooking appliances such as steam ovens or sinks with integrated steam-cooking units? Modular elements are also a valuable option, enabling you to mix and match traditional ranges with deep fryers and grills, or even a wok burner, pizza oven, or wood-burning rotisserie. If you’re working with limited space, you might investigate the newest miniaturized cooking appliances that not only take up less room but also serve multiple functions such as microwaving, grilling, broiling, and baking.
- Is there more than one cook in your family? If so, you may want to create multiple workstations.
- If you use caterers, would it be useful to have a separate prep area or secondary kitchen for them to work in?
- Do you want to maximize counter space? Under-the-counter microwave ovens and refrigerators are options worth considering. Plus, they are handy for kids!
- Do you like to bake? You might plan for a dedicated baking area, with a stone countertop for kneading dough and rolling out piecrusts. Consider building it lower than your other countertops for comfort and accessibility.
- Do you cook on the run? Perhaps a warming drawer for carryout food is just the thing for you. Warming drawers are also great for home owners who entertain a lot.
- Is speed of preparation important? There are appliances geared to that as well, such as ovens that combine microwave and convection technologies to dramatically decrease cooking time, and new electronic cooktops that heat up virtually as quickly as gas burners.
- Is easy maintenance a high priority? If so, you may wish to trade in your high-tech, high-BTU gas range for a sleek, easy-to-clean electric model with a smooth glass surface that wipes up instantly.
- Do you want a full entertainment center in your kitchen to draw others in, or just a radio or small TV for your personal use while you cook or grab breakfast before work?
